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WILLIAM T. FRY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PATENT OFFICE.,

POCKET-BOOK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,702. dated February 20, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. FRY, of the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Pocket-Books; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of an elastic band having barbed prongs or their equivalents in combination with a plate attached to the pocket-book and having a projection with an opening adapted to the reception of the said barbed prongs or their equivalents, all substantially as described hereinafter, so that the band can be readily detached, when it loses its elasticity, and replaced by a new one.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure l is a front view of a pocket-book with my improvements; Fig. 2, a rear view, partly in section; Fig. 3, a view of the band; and Fig. 4,

an end view of the pocket-book, partly in section and without the baud.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents an ordinary pocket-book or porte-monnaie, of which a is the usual overlapping fold.

B is a band composed of the elastic fabric, such as is commonly used for embracing pocket-books, to one end of which is riveted or otherwise secured a metal plate, D, having an elongated opening, c, enlarged at one end, f. To the other end of the elastic band is secured a plate, E, forked at the outer end, so as to present two prongs, h h, each of which is provided with a barb, z', as seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

A plate, G, is secured to the rear of the pocket-book, and on this plate is a projection, m, having inclined edges, and being adapted to the reception of the forked end of the plate E. On inserting the fork into the inclined opening between the plate Gr and projection,

m, the prongs will be drawn toward each other until the barbs t' pass the end of the said projection, when the prongs, owing to their elasticity, will move apart and the shoulders of A the barbs will catch against the end of the projection, thus securing the band to the back of the pocket-book until it becomes necessary to detach the same, which can be readily effected after pressing the ends of the prongs toward each other.

After one end of the band has been thus secured to the back of the book it is passed through a loop, q, on the fold a, and is then stretched, and the enlarged end f of the slot e placed over the head of a pin, i, on a plate, h, secured to the under fold, b, of the book, after which the band is released and reeoils, carrying back with it the plate D until the end of the narrow portion of its slot comes in contact with the end of the pin y, the head of which prevents the detachment of the plate D.

Bands of elastic fabric have been for a long time in use as a means of embracing pocketbooks and keeping their folds together, but it is well known that such bands lose their elasticity long before the pocket-book is the Worse for wear; hence the importance of an elastic band which, instead of being permanently secured to the book, as usual, can be readilydetached from it and replaced by a new one possessing the elasticity of which use has deprived the first.

While my invention affords every facility for the ready removal of an inefficient band and 'the ready attachment of a new one, the fastening is ot' such a character as not to present an inconvenient protuberance.

l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentrllhe elastic band B, with its barbed prongs or their equivalents, in combination with the plate Gr, secured to the pocket-book and having a projection with an inclined opening adapted to the reception of the said barbed prongs or their equivalents, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' WM. T. FRY.

Witnesses:

H. HowsoN, JOHN WHITE, 

